


2: More Than She Bargained For

by rahelawriter



Series: FFXIV Write 2019 [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: FFxivWrite2019, Female Friendship, First Meetings, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 01:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rahelawriter/pseuds/rahelawriter
Summary: To help support her kin, Tataru took an apprenticeship at a jeweler's that paid but a pittance. She had but seen twelve namedays. It was during this apprenticeship that she met Minfilia, who had come to the shop to sell rough gemstones…[Prompt #2 for FFXIV Write 2019: Bargain]





	2: More Than She Bargained For

**Author's Note:**

> I had some angsty ideas for this, but finally decided to base it off of the first meeting between our favorite receptionist and our favorite Antecedent, as described by Tataru's profile in the lore book.

"Hello?"

The melodic voice of a lady was the only warning before the heavy clattering of rocks against hardwood startled Tataru out of her half-dozing. Immediately the twelve-year-old lalafell jolted to her feet and clambered up the stepstool to meet her customer. The shop that her master owned didn't get many patrons besides adventurers, and they rarely spent what little coin they had on jewelry. All the big spenders who could afford such trinkets in the first place usually gravitated towards Eshtaime's Lapidaries. (Or _Manderville & Manderville_, if their taste veered towards the nonexistent)

But this customer, a young and blonde highlander woman, had the look of a miner; even without a pickaxe in view, the smattering of dirt and the burlap sack full of rocks made it easy for Tataru to tell.

"Y-yes!" She all but shouted her greeting to the highlander with a forced smile. Even with the shite pay, she had too much riding on this apprenticeship to be anything less than perfect. "What can I help you with?"

"Erm, hello," the miner uneasily returned the greeting, not having expected such a frantic forcefulness. Her expression remained troubled as she asked, "Are you the proprietor of this establishment?"

"The proprietor is…" Hopelessly hungover in the back, but Tataru certainly couldn't say that. "… Out. I'm his apprentice, and I'm minding the shop for the day!"

"And how old are you, if you do not mind my asking?"

"Thirteen summers next moon."

"Alright," the miner said, still giving Tataru a dubious look.

"But enough about me!" Tataru hurriedly changed the topic. "What's in that big heavy sack you're carrying?"

"Oh, I'd nearly forgotten," the customer opened the lip of her bag, and fished out a large chunk of raw gemstone. Tataru 'ooh'ed at the myriad colors visible within the rock. "What might I get in return for these?"

"… You mean, you want to sell to _me?"_

She nodded, her smile kind and bright. "Yes, if you don't mind."

"A-alright, hold on, let me just find my scale…"

Tataru ducked down behind the countertop and got lost within a sudden storm of thoughts; she'd been told everything she needed to know about making a sale, but never anything on what to do when it was about the other way around. She remembered all too well how she'd had to give her beloved childhood toys and dresses over to her father, so he could sell them and give that gil to those wretched moneylenders. But was it really as simple as someone walking into a shop, handing over any old thing, and getting some gil out of it? Of course not! Tataru knew that there was enough gil in the register to purchase all of it, but would her Master be upset if she gave away so much of the day's profits for raw materials? After all, they would still need to cut and polish the gemstones and set them into metal before they could make more money…

_'Ohhh, I can't wake him up to ask him, but I can't afford to not consult him if I want to keep this apprenticeship, and what do I tell the customer…?'_

But when Tataru finally focused enough to fetch the gem-weighing scale, she'd found that the highlander woman was clutching her head, her face twisted into a pained grimace. Immediately the lalafell fell into a new fit of panic.

"Oh, Thal, are you alright, Miss? Do you have a headache? Was it something I said…?"

The woman shook off the pain with a groan and a sigh. "I, I'm fine."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, don't worry, this is normal," she reassured with a gentle, patient smile. "No need to fret over me, Tataru…"

""Ah, uh, alright, miss…" … Did Tataru give the lady her name? She didn't remember doing so, but she must have. "So, where were we? I was about to weigh your uncut gems, to see what they'd be worth?"

"That won't be necessary; by all means, take them."

For several seconds, Tataru could only stare blankly. Did she hear that right? "Just… 'take them,' you say?"

"Yes. I'll give them to you, free of charge."

"… What?" Now she bristled; if the last several years had taught Tataru anything, it was that everything and everyone had a price. True altruism, true generosity didn't exist, least of all in Ul'dah. Drawing back with suspicion, she glared at the miner. "What are you trying to pull? Nothing in life is free. Never ever."

"You'd be surprised," she said, reacting simply with a shrug. "But the gemstones, I do offer with a condition."

Tataru's wariness partially faded. "Not gil, but a condition? What might that be?"

"Once your master is sober again, I would very much like to speak with him about his spending habits; the gil he spends on drink could easily be used to improve your crafting facilities, or more importantly, raising your wages. The Quicksand is a fine establishment, but it could easily handle the loss of coin that would be a great boon to you and your family."

"… What? How could you _possibly--?!"_ Tataru could only sputter in confusion. How did this customer suddenly know her entire life story? She was a perfect stranger when she first walked up to this storefront, and acted accordingly! What could have changed? " … Who _are_ you?"

That serene smile of hers took on a new light, and became _coy_ and _knowing_. "I am Minfilia Warde, a humble miner. In time, I hope you come to see me as a friend."

And so she did.


End file.
